As you probably read yesterday, Ancient Aliens pundit and entrepreneur Jason Martell threatened to sue me to prevent me from criticizing him. He also requested that his fans send me hate mail, which resulted in one death threat. I have forwarded Mr. Martell’s hate mail request to officials at History and H2, the networks that air Ancient Aliens, to ensure they are aware of his actions. Although H2 does not directly employ Mr. Martell (the show is produced by an outside production company, Prometheus Entertainment), I expect the network to categorically condemn any action by one of its personalities to engage in harassing behavior. Mr. Martell accused me of poor research, but he himself appears to have mistakenly claimed that I was responsible for Ancient Aliens Debunked, Chris White’s documentary film with which I am not affiliated in any way: “he only causes negative views with his ancient aliens debunked.” However, his meaning is not entirely clear since the poor grammar and capitalization makes the sentence ambiguous. So, I thought I’d share a few facts about Jason Martell, taken entirely from publicly documented sources. The following facts are derived entirely from Martell’s own statements in interviews he gave to the media and linked to on his personal website as well as statements from his several different web sites. Remember: Everything discussed below comes directly from Martell himself.

Note first that on his website Martell erroneously describes a PR Newswire press release republished on Forbes magazine’s website (as they used to do with hundreds of press releases before their policies changed) as a write up in Forbes magazine proper. Forbes did not write the article and does not endorse republished wire content that circulated through its site. This was a press release produced by GodTube.com, one of Martell’s own companies, and submitted to PR Newswire.

Jason Martell is a coder who did the coding for several online dating websites, including AmericanSingles.com and JDate.com, via his employment at Spark Networks, a purveyor of niche-oriented online dating sites.

Jason Martell was a senior developer for TagWorld.com, a failed social network.

Jason Martell claims to be responsible for installing a tracking feature to enable JDate.com users to see how many people view their profiles.

Jason Martell served as chief technology officer and co-founder of GodTube.com, a video sharing site for Christians, whose efforts to promote Biblical truth seem to conflict with Martell’s stated claim in Knowledge Apocalypse that the Bible was plagiarized from “Sumerian” sources inspired by aliens. He left the company to focus on his “current” project, which he will not reveal.

Jason Martell’s former company, Big Jump Media, owns the trademark to the phrase “Jesus 2.0.” I cannot confirm whether Martell continues to be involved in the business, which was sold along with GodTube.com to Christian radio company Salem Communications in 2010.

Jason Martell is or was the CEO of Booya! Media, an app-creation service. The last published reference to him as such was in 2012. I tried to call the company to confirm, but they only have voice mail, which sounded to me to be Martell’s own voice. The company web domain is registered to Martell at what appears to be his home address in Beverly Hills, CA.

Jason Martell says that the most effective way to influence people is to appeal to their vanity.

“When people come to a site, they don't necessarily know why they’re coming. They don’t know what they're looking for,” Martel told CIO magazine in 2008, “so hold their hand. Tell them who’s checking them out and how to check other people out. […] The important thing is to keep experimenting with what we know about people and technology.” GodTube.com received tens of millions of dollars thanks to a hefty 2008 investment from GLG Partners, a London hedge fund, now part of Man Group. Media reports have put this investment at anywhere from $17 million to $30 million. According to Forbes, shortly after the investment GLG saw a decline of 40% in funds under management, leading to the hedge fund managers being placed on probation with $1 in pay. (The decline was due to the financial crisis of 2008, not GodTube.com, despite Wikipedia claims to the contrary.) GodTube’s user base and revenue declined after losing 75% of its users in just one year following the GLG investment. Interestingly, GodTube.com, founded by Martell, prohibits Martell’s own ancient astronaut claims from being reported on its website, as given in its original terms of service (since changed by Salem), which forbade any claim “contrary to the evangelization of Jesus Christ and His teachings, or constitutes blasphemy, or is otherwise offensive to our online Christian community.” Martell wrote that the “original source” of the Bible’s stories, like Noah’s Ark, was “Sumerian,” and that the Bible stories were really tales of the “Anunnaki,” whom he identified as extraterrestrials. He even asked readers to imagine if Jesus were “an Anunnaki” (plurals confuse him). GodTube.com also forbids members from engaging in online harassment and threatening behavior.

Might want to notify the ISP of the person who threatened you, as well as notify the authorities.

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anna

6/18/2014 11:25:46 am

How does it define someone to own co own whatever a datn site prob got a lot people together n besides we live in a solar system wit many more systems n planets what u thinks out there wit that thank ancient aliens n all there panel if I had his job I get tired of teln people what they should know n ya I'm sure I flip out on morons

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anna

6/18/2014 11:39:30 am

N besides what did u do for him to feel he the need to contact lawyers I wish em all the best...humans all do stupid stuff....HUMANS

Me

12/9/2016 04:47:42 pm

Wow.

Kristian

4/18/2013 08:18:45 am

I have to say, Jason, I feel you are doing yourself and the well-deserved legitimacy of your overall site a disservice by stooping to report his empty and baseless threats, and by further escalating this with your laundry-list of embarrassing profile factoids & utterances here.

Calling History/H2 channels because he informed you of his battery of attorneys? Please. Are we back in 6th grade? I think you need to anticipate that people will want to protect their commercial franchises; it's fairly disingenuous to expect you can (appropriately!) question their intellectual integrity without some pushback.

I don't see why the content of your personal interactions with these characters needs to be our business. It's basically a disguised ad hominem: "Look, everyone, look what he just said to me! You're going to trust anything this guy says after he threatened me with lawyers?!"

Maybe it's a slow news week, but perhaps we could just move on...

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Dave

4/18/2013 08:41:05 am

Pretty sure he did that due to the Death threat he received, seemingly from the urging of the person being talked about.

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Kristian

4/18/2013 08:53:40 am

What death threat? You mean he buried the lead? I see an indirect reference by a reader to a death threat in one of the comments, but I don't think I see Jason ever explicitly confirming this, nor publishing it (not that that is a good idea, I'm just saying I don't see the source for this).

Separately, get a grip, people. This would definitely be a first--crimes perpetrated in the name of furthering the Puma Punku narrative. Maybe Jason should get a concealed carry permit. Viracocha is coming for him. LOL.

Nor does Martell's email to his group constitute harassment (not the one I saw at least), per se. I suppose Jason could try to make that case, but it's a very weak one. You realize of course our own President perpetrates the same offense when he entreaties the public to liberally contact and lay into their representatives who voted against any of his failed initiatives the past 4 years (try googling "Congress web sites crash after Obama's speech")

You guys are totally reaching here. Do this guy ever leave his house?

Tara Jordan

4/18/2013 08:56:41 am

"I don't see why the content of your personal interactions with these characters needs to be our business....". I feel you are doing yourself and the well-deserved legitimacy of your overall logical argument,a disservice by stooping to comment on something for which you obviously don't feel concerned.....

Dave

4/18/2013 09:26:30 am

@Kristian. 2nd sentence: "He also requested that his fans send me hate mail, which resulted in one death threat."

Part of the nature of studying alternative history is exploring the nature of why people choose to believe and how the "movement" acts and reacts. Mr. Martell is the latest case study in a very long list of pseudoscientists and pseudohistorians who engage in similar tactics. Helena Blavatsky is perhaps the classic case, but also too L. Ron Hubbard.

However, I placed this information in the public record in order to make sure it is on record should any of Mr. Martell's fans go beyond words and in order to document Mr. Martell's activities in order to preempt any lawsuit he may seek to file. I did not seek out H2; I was scheduled to talk with them for another reason yesterday and thought it was something they would like to know.

Pushback, as you define it, is what is called "criticism." As an author, I've had vicious and nasty criticism of my work, but it was based on my ideas. I have never had a literary critic or an archaeologist gather a group of supporters to barrage me with angry emails, nor have I ever asked anyone to spam a critic on my behalf. The appropriate form of "pushback" is to offer well-reasoned, careful criticism of ideas.

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Ben

4/18/2013 01:12:19 pm

Colavito, I agree with others, must be a slow week for you. You really, out of "and I could hear it in your texts" exude rage on your part. I am glad to know that Martell has been so successful. But, you appear to be jealous or something strange like that. Get a life, and MOVE ON! Geez, can you say 6 years old again.
I know of this guy, but you really made me feel that I should follow his work now. THANKS!

How do you react when threatened with a lawsuit? I think that's fairly good grounds for feeling at least a mild dyspepsia. Alan Butler and Chris Knight threatened me with a lawsuit in 2006, and that upset me, too. I trust you will allow me a human reaction.

I have learned that the best way to deter this kind of nonsense is to make it public. Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

Please do enjoy the work of Mr. Martell. If you visit his website, you can sign up for his mailing list and enjoy his latest discoveries. He'll be happy to have you.

Ben. Indeed, if you should join Jason Martell`s fans club (if you arent already one of his gibbering idiotic buttboys), You sound like the casual credulous dolt with an IQ below whale shit.

Varika

4/24/2013 06:24:37 am

Kristian, no offence, but I wish more people WOULD "go back to 6th grade" and report things. There's a whole lot of problems for people and society as a whole that would be less problematical if people didn't pretend it wasn't important, ranging from abuse to sexual assault to victim shaming to bigotry of all sorts.

Furthermore, Jason was VERY clear that it wasn't the threat of litigation he forwarded but the evidence of the beginnings of a campaign of cyber bullying and harassment. How can we tell our sixth graders that this is wrong and you should report it to a teacher if we are turning around and telling adults, "Suck it up and deal, it's really your own fault for daring to say something he didn't like?"

Well, now I'm speaking up: you're engaging in victim-blaming and that's not right. Not for sixth graders and not for adults, either!

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Elian Gonzalez

11/28/2013 08:16:06 am

You know what, Kristian? It's his blog, he can do whatever he wants. So unless you're paying his bills, your foot stamping about what he writes about is tiring.

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Dejan

4/18/2013 08:27:56 am

@Kristian I have a feeling it's not because of the threat with lawyers...

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Tara Jordan

4/18/2013 08:51:25 am

Jason.On many occasions I was quite harsh on you (I accused you of occasionally being soft on people) but I have to say,in spite of being a mild mannered man, you are persistent,you do not give up,even under threat or facing personal intimidation. Hats off to you Mr Colavito.

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Kristian

4/18/2013 09:34:16 am

Thanks Dave. Yeah I missed that.

But also the cross-postings and/or off-line conversations some people must be having with Jason are kind of confusing, as there is a post from "Clint" yesterday that makes reference to the death threat seemingly before Jason revealed that fact in today's post.

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Clint Knapp

4/18/2013 12:18:54 pm

Jason mentioned the death threat in a tweet (see the feed to the right of this page) a few minutes before I made my post. I was commenting on that.

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Gunn

4/18/2013 10:19:18 am

I agree with Kristian, the unpopular view.

There is a big difference between a public figure and a lowly common man or woman when it comes to these issues. Public figures should expect varying reactions to their public output. Some sound rather extreme, but it doesn't usually matter in the name of Free Speech.

Truth matters, but everyone is entitled to an ill-advised opinion, especially on a blog or in follow-up emails to the public figures. This is part of the price one pays for running a public opinion mill.

As with love, free speech covers a multitude of sins. One doesn't need to go to court unless there is a clear case of purposeful, hurtful slander...which involves telling outright lies. Trying to urge followers to send unpleasant communications is lawful, and as Kristian said, to be expected. Harassment? So what? Of course there is that line to cross, but it would involve repetition.

Nobody like to fronted-off when their profit-lines and reputations are a stake, but I've always believed that truth does matters, which is why Jason's vocation of de-bunking is at least as important as cheap entertainment. But, as we see, it does carry it's own risks...mostly just hot, scorching air though.

I think it's important to recognize that History admitted that much of this bull---- is for entertainment purposes, not to represent real history. That's obvious, anyway. We wish for better results, but they aren't forthcoming. So we complain, and we get together to complain, yes, like that gaggle of geese.

Gunn, This is not about "unpopular view", there comes a time when you have pick a side. Kristian doesn't have an opinion,he merely shows up around here with the sole intention of mocking Jason & urinating on his shoes.

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Kristian

4/18/2013 12:22:45 pm

Tara. Please. Do I really need to be broadly impugned because I find Jason's last several posts about Martell's "really, really mean emails" (my interpretation) to be a bit tiresome, and, as I clearly implied, beneath the normal quality of Jason's typical entries and not worthy of his finite attentions? This is a pretty wild extrapolation, even for you.

Just an aside--given how much hyperbole has been attached to Martell's alleged harassment inducement to the masses and uber-threatening missive, I would be just so curious to see what Jason perceives to be a "death threat".

I have a feeling we have ourselves a tempest-in-a-teapot scenario, not unlike Bob Woodward's false cry a few months ago (for you politicos out there) that Godfather economist Gene Sperling was out to maim him. Then we saw the email...

It is my usual policy not to publish harassing and/or threatening emails. I will, however, share that one of Martell's fans sent me a vulgar email accusing me of wearing glasses to look smarter than Martell. So, there is funny hate mail and then there is disturbing hate mail.

Tara Jordan

4/18/2013 06:11:14 pm

Kristian. You may be right about the "tempest-in-a-teapot scenario" but it is not for us to judge, because we are not the ones under pressure.As far as I know Jason,he is not a drama queen, he doesn't make things up & as I said before, he always behave in the most mild mannered fashion.I am not Jason`s sycophant & I have been publicly very critical of him from time to time,yet Jason never censured me or complained about my attitude. I personally feel that right now under these circumstances,I have to support him.Jason doesn't moderate comments on his own blog,he allows people to write exactly what they want,even when reactions are extremely critical.Considering the level of censorship & the limitation of freedom of expression around the blog-sphere,Jason`s blog is a haven for free speech & honest debate, & I am deeply respectful of that.

Christopher Randolph

4/18/2013 06:52:15 pm

Gunn - I'm not sure that you're referring to Jason here as the 'public figure,' but *at best* (and perhaps even not at that, IANAL) he'd seem to fit into the category of a "limited purpose public figure," which affects the burden of proof in defamation. I should think Martell is in this category as well. An outright 'public figure' status is reserved for your Kardashians, Clintons, Bushes, Jay Leno, bin Laden etc. - household names for better or worse.

Legally, I believe both of us are limited use public figures within the realm of alternative archaeology as we both publish publicly material meant to influence perceptions of a controversial issue.

Gunn

4/18/2013 11:41:08 am

Jason is adept enough at safe-guarding his integrity, however he chooses to do it. It does become a matter of style, which I think Kristian said. Everyone has a style of communicating.

I forgot to add, above, that actual threats of bodily harm or death are an entirely different matter. But it should be clear, and in no way either a joke or a figure of speech. An actual death threat, which is "self-evident" as such, should be reported, as no one has the right to go around making such threats, even in an "idle" way.

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Kristian

4/18/2013 12:35:32 pm

So that funny hate mail you mentioned, finished with "Next time I see you, I'm gonna bust you up, four-eyes!" Is that the death threat?

I'm coming clean, I sent it! I apologize, I was just getting bored with America Unearthed in hiatus.

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Kristian

4/18/2013 12:50:49 pm

BTW Jason, I guess by implication then--you don't consider any of Martell's interaction with you to date to be "harassing" or "threatening"? Sine you did publish those...but yet you titled your post "Jason Martell Threatens to Sue Me". Maybe you will publish these types of emails as long as they are from verifiable Ancient Alien theorists? But perhaps not if from their acolytes? This is a totally confusing policy!

In your defense, you haven't once described Martell's activities as harassing, the readers here have done that. So would like to clarify for the record your opinion of them, and if harassing/threatening, why you published them against said policy? Perfect opportunity to clear it all up!

Emails from public figures are fair game because they have assumed a public role. I published my first angry messages from alternative theorists in 2005 when I reprinted emails from Giorgio Tsoukalos and John Anthony West in my "Cult of Alien Gods." Tsoukalos said I had "malevolent" intentions, and West felt I was trying to trap him. Tsoukalos later informed me that he was spreading the word among alternative theorists not to speak to me because I was so horribly nasty a person.

Mr. Martell's mass email does not, to my mind, meet the legal definition of harassment, though he quite obviously has a moral and ethical responsibility to consider the consequences of his request. His email to me threatening a lawsuit is not a threat of bodily harm but rather a clumsy attempt at using a "chilling effect" to curb criticism.

Thanks for being so responsive, Jason. I am just a guest to your well-conceived site, so I am genuinely appreciative.

The only thing I would rejoinder is, from your comments it appears that the intent of your policy is to protect the privacy of non-public figures (although, it would seem highly generous to protect someone who threatens you, but so be it). So if that interpretation is roughly correct, you cannot possibly be saying that the person who threatened your life...identified him or herself? Those Ancient Alien'ers are dumber than we thought, huh?

But let's go with that and he/she did identify him or herself. You are saying you can't even excerpt the objectionable portion for us to review? How exactly would that violate anyone's privacy? Or does the actual *threat* also identify the individual, ie. "Next time you pass my house at 101 Oak Drive, you're toast, buddy!" ?

I know this seems like a tedious explanatory exercise for you, but you know, you opened the door. You exposed all the objectionable contact from Martel. You defended that step as instructive of understanding the psyche and dynamic of the whole Ancient Alien construct. So throw back the curtain, finish the exercise! If your point was truly to inform, your policy of selective disclosure looks a tad like one designed to best support a certain narrative.

No, you have it wrong. I could give two figs about the privacy of people who make threats. The problem is that many, many people who write to me because they believe in aliens, ghosts, Jesus Bloodlines, etc. are deeply disturbed, in profoundly sad ways. Many have very obvious mental health issues, and it is a tragedy that there is viritually nothing that can be done to help. Acknowledging their communications publicly only encourages more of the same and contributes to the problem.

I trust you know what a death threat looks like. It identifies the person, suggests that the person's actions are worthy of retribution, and tells the person that his or her life is forfeit. If I thought that the email was specific and credible it would be in the hands of authorities right now. But I'm not going to encourage the writer to send more threats.

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Kristian

4/18/2013 02:00:14 pm

I only went that way because you began about how "public figures are fair game". So really it's more along the lines of why they don't show streakers on TV. Yet I would think acknowledging it and then allowing the discussion of it to get this frothy would be encouragement also, no?

If you didn't consider it credible, IMO it was kind of gratuitous/inflammatory to mention the threat and then not clarify that point once the readership went all up in arms suggesting you go to the authorities, take appropriate precautions, yadda, yadda. You clearly follow the posts here.

I said it was a death threat, and it was. It isn't the first one I've ever received, and it won't be the last. It's hardly gratuitous to point out that Martell's fans sent me dozens upon dozens of hate-filled messages with various levels of bile.

I'm not sure what you think I get out of posting on this blog, as your last comment suggests. I don't have a million weekly viewers like Jason Martell, and I don't make money off of this blog. Whether a hundred people or a hundred thousand read my blog, I'm still writing the same thing I've always written.

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Kristian

4/18/2013 02:45:15 pm

Point taken. Looking forward to your next post that isn't about these jokers' lame intimidation tactics!

Gary

4/18/2013 02:01:10 pm

An important part of exposing frauds is to see how they react to criticism. Jason, keep doing what you are doing. You are showing the low character and lack of integrity of the pseudo-historians and the trolls who attack you on their behalf. People who are honest respond to criticism with supporting evidence, not childish threats and phoney outrage.

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charlie

4/18/2013 02:54:17 pm

Jason,
Thanks for all you do in exposing the fraud and rotten at best "research" done by the fraudsters you post about.
This is your site and the content is yours, in other words nobody has any right to complain about what you post on your site. If I don't like what you post, I will just find another web site/blog to read. So far, I am staying right here as I enjoy your commentary.
I have a blog and never did care about any followers or even if I ever got any regular readers. My blog was a forum for me to rant on whatever I felt like at the moment, if others stopped by and liked it, great. If they posted nasty comments, great also, at least they read my posts. Again, your site, your rules and only you get to decide what to post here. Unless you do want a loyal audience, then you may have to bow to group pressure. I hope you never get to that point though and doubt you will.
Keep up your good work.

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Dejan

4/18/2013 07:14:41 pm

Fact is simple (regardless views/content): death threat made.

The fact that it is online doesn't matter. Would anyone feel differently if someone sent an actual letter or worse, would come to your door or threaten you in public?

Seems to me a lot of people think that online everything is permitted, well it is NOT. The comment "hot air" etc. suggests you never should take a threat seriously.

Hello Jason, news of this Ancient Aliens guy's campaign of harassment has brought me her to your blog for the very first time. So if it was Jason Martell's goal to increase your visibility and drive traffic to your site, he has succeeded handsomely.

No legitimate researcher, scientist, or journalist needs to rally crazy, hate-mail spewing nuts to his cause. The man's behavior is what I would expect from a high school student or the denizens of 4chan.

As for his threat of legal action? It's always funny when people who don't understand the law threaten to sue you. See Mike Bara's threat to sue his most well-known and effective critic for similar lulz.

It's one of the ironies that if Martell had acted with decorum, I would probably have never written about him again since he appears to have no original ideas to critique. It's also ironic that Martell, in his capacity as the owner and operator of several websites, prohibits exactly this kind of behavior as part of their terms of use.

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Bela

3/19/2017 07:02:46 am

Well Mr Colavito, isn't it good to become famous by making yourself know attacking Mr Martell's theories? Isn't this a tremendous opportunistic way to take advantage of Mr Martell's beliefs? Why should anyone believe or trust you more than Mr Martell?
Who do you think you are? If you keep attacking Mr Martell that is because you consider him to be over you, and what does that make of you if not the same kind of person you are trying to attack? What do you know about the concept of intelectual honesty?
And then, sorry about my comment, I totally forgot you are american.

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